Learning To Love
by ancient-relic
Summary: In order to properly inherit the Western Lands, Sesshomaru needs a mate. Unfortunately strong, good-looking, female demons are hard to find. What's a coldhearted, uncaring taiyoukai to do?
1. Coming of Age

**A/N: **I wanted to write a Kagome/Sesshomaru that didn't totally depend on Kagome, and any and all decisions that she seems to make. I wanted it to be Sesshomaru's fault, you know? So, I came up with this. It was a total last minute thing- I really have no plans for it. So, the continuation of this (I do hope that it ends up happening) totally depends on the amount of reviews that I get. Okay? Okay.

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own InuYasha.

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**Learning To Love – Prologue**

**ancient-relic**

_"Do you have someone to protect?"_

No.

That was the truth.

As a taiyoukai, he had no reason to lie, anyhow.

And of course, it was now of all times that he just had to remember his father, and his rather… well, _stupid_ parting words.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru ignored the annoying voice. He was tired of listening to the ridiculous drivel of the council. He'd much rather be spending his time beating the shit out of his little brother; his favourite stress release.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" the voice prodded again, with much more insistence the second time around.

"Yes? What is it?" he replied, distinctly more irritated than usual. The one trying to capture his attention flinched slightly, before another moved to speak.

"Ahem," the elderly council member cleared his voice. "As I was saying, you're soon to come of age- when all young demons step up to take the throne."

"I already have the throne." Sesshomaru pointed out bluntly, effectively cutting off the elder.

"But according to youkai law, you are not the proper heir. You may be the son of Touga-sama, but-" the elder was abruptly cut off again when Sesshomaru's head whipped around, and a glare that would have surely killed anyone lesser was sent his way.

"_Ah_...um... What I meant to say was _InuTaisho-sama_... You are the eldest, _pure_-_blooded_ son," he spat with distaste at the thought of someone who wasn't pure, "of the last lord. Where you are the direct heir, there is a possibility of an older and more experienced taiyoukai taking it from you." The demon clarified, looking to gauge Sesshomaru's reaction. The other members of the court did so as well, all turning their heads from one end of the long table that everyone was seated at to the young demon lord, who sat in a raised throne at the other end of the table.

Though Sesshomaru's face remained stoic, he was everything but. Thoughts ran through his mind at dizzying rates – possibilities of disaster running first and foremost through his mind.

_What if Naraku learns of this demon tradition? Even the counci__l would not be able to deny him – it will be simple enough for him to conceal his true heritage, half-demon or not. Such a thing would be unacceptable, putting my father's legacy and my lands at such a risk._

"Is what you say true?" Sesshomaru demanded, settling a fierce glare on the elder.

"Y-yes, Sesshomaru-sama. Since your father is no longer here, he was not able to complete the ritual that gives you all entitled power to the land."

"How do I complete this ritual?" Sesshomaru questioned, looking to the other members of the council that still sat silently before him.

"Well, as the higher youkai council, we have the power to input our judgment, and to perform the ritual, in cases such as these." A younger youkai spoke up, his deep black eyes meeting Sesshomaru's fierce golden ones with no fear.

Sesshomaru instantly recognized the demon as one of the more powerful members of the council- despite being a few hundred years younger than the elders. His name... what was it again? Ritsuenko? Ritsunonji? Ah- he remembered. Ritsenenji.

He was half a dozen centuries older than Sesshomaru, but the taiyoukai had no need to fear him. _He_ was more powerful, after all. The dark demon was a mix between an ancient shape-shifter clan, and lightning kumori- as the leathery wings on his back and the jagged mark on his cheek foretold. _The last of his kind..._

"Yes. Ritsenenji is right, Sesshomaru-sama." Another council member spoke, encouraged by Ritsenenji's boldness. Sesshomaru sent a quick glare in his direction, which effectively dissolved any and all courage that the council member had amassed.

"W-we can perform the ceremony for you, but you are still missing something vital."

"And what might that be?" Sesshomaru drawled, his voice dangerously low. They dared to question his ability and prowess?

"A mate, milord." The oldest elder spoke up. Sesshomaru turned his head to the far end of the table, where a wizened old eagle youkai sat. He was the head of the council, being the oldest, and the most powerful member of all those that sat assembled at the table.

Solaris was from a race said to be direct descendants of a sun god from the continent- and his native language was a strange version of the Latin that Sesshomaru knew.

His whitening hair was still long and elegant, and at the ends some of his natural blond clung stubbornly. Feathers- whether intentionally or otherwise- hung throughout his hair, woven in-between the pearly strands. His hairline stopped right at the top of his head in the strangest manner- not due to a receding hairline, but rather due to the fact that his hair melded into sharp feathers that framed his face, right around to the back of his neck.

Weathered lines of time stretched across his face- not in wrinkles, but in faint lines of colour. Blue eyes that were once crisp and sharp had faded to an almost milky tone were another sign of the bird's age. His wings were tucked neatly behind him as he sat with his back straight, so as not to bend and feathers. White and golden robes adorned his form- another style that he and his family had brought over from the continent.

_What I would have given,_ Sesshomaru thought for a moment, his mind turning from the matter at hand yet again, _to see Solaris in his prime._

"Fear not, Sesshomaru. I'm not so old," Solaris chuckled. Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes. He forgot the old bird was physic. "But back to the current problem."

Sesshomaru straightened, his mood sobering. "I see no reason as to why I need a mate. I have no use of one!" he insisted, a slight scowl forming on his face.

"We are sure that it is possible that you could rule by yourself, Sesshomaru. Do not think any otherwise. That is not wherein the problem lies." Solaris said frankly, the sharp lines of his face hardening.

"It is because you are so distant, that we fear for the lineage of the inu-youkai." Solaris sighed, rubbing his forehead with a clawed hand. "We need to ensure that one of the most powerful demonic lines- the silver-inu youkai, flourish, as they used to."

"What are you talking about?" Sesshomaru found himself growling. "There are still many more of my kind! Two clans to the north- the snow-inu and the ice-inu, and to the south, the wind-inu!" he protested.

"Your father was the last remaining male of the poison-inu youkai." Solaris began. "Your mother was the last of the wind-inu; the rest of the clan has since disappeared with the last fifty years. The snow-inu were massacred, during a surprise joint attack from the bears and the wolves, and the ice-inu are scarcely found around anymore. You are one of the last members of a dying breed."

Sesshomaru slumped into the cushion of his chair, disbelief clearly etched across his face. Where had he been while all of this was happening? Had he really been away from the castle for that long?

The hunt for Naraku certainly was time consuming... but even still. The inu weren't pushovers... Inu, above many other races were known for their raw power, their senses, and their stubbornness. They were resilient!

Solaris had either read his mind, or guess correctly about what was going through his head. "The Inu are certainly resilient, but there are many things that can be the downfall for any clan. They don't have the same adaptability as some of the other youkai- many need specific conditions to flourish. There is a reason why the snow and the ice live in the north."

"Though the wind has nearly impenetrable fortresses, once the walls are breached, the people are trapped- with few ways to exit the cities. The wind are best at distance fighting, due to their aerial attacks. The snow and ice are powerful in almost all types of melee combat- being able to make their own weapons from water. But in the frigid north, their senses have greatly dulled, and they do not have the same instincts for attack and defense as the other clans do, due to the natural defense of the terrain and the temperature that they surround themselves with."

"Many downsides..." Sesshomaru muttered, his head threatening to fall further into his hand.

"This is why," Solaris continued, "You need to find a mate, and soon. Whether she is inu or not, we need to know that your methods of securing an heir are definite, so that the lost lineage of the poison-inu and the wind-inu will be carried on."

"We plan to give you five months, Sesshomaru-sama." Ritsenenji spoke up. "Five months to secure a mate, and thus your position. If you cannot, then the Western throne will be given to someone more… _deserving_."

Sesshomaru bit back a growl. It didn't take a genius to know that Ritsenenji wanted the throne for himself- but he could make no move for it without endangering his position on the council, and the majority of his power.

"You will have until the first flower blooms again in spring. When that time arises, this council will meet again, to judge you, and your choice." Solaris said, and rose from his seat, flapping his wings. "Until then, this council is adjourned!"

Sesshomaru watched from his seat as the various members of the council disappeared, in various blasts of youki, or by more convention methods.

When only he and Solaris remained in the hall, he rose. "Walk with me?" Sesshomaru questioned, turning without a response to the gardens on the other side of a shoji door.

Solaris followed- Sesshomaru could hear his wings dragging lightly on the ground. Sliding the door shut softly behind him, Solaris spread his wings wide- the mere span of them stretching just over ten feet on either side.

"What is it, Sesshomaru?" Solaris asked, his eyes softening perceptively. He had known Sesshomaru since when he was born- and he knew his mother and her father before that. This being so, he knew (telekinesis or not) when something was troubling Sesshomaru.

"It... well...!" Sesshomaru went in circles, not knowing what to say. Solaris just smiled knowingly.

"I don't need a mate!" he concluded, spinning around to face a Sakura Tree, and away from Solaris.

"Is it you don't need one, or you can't get one?" Solaris asked, clearly bemused.

"Stop reading my mind, you old bird!" Sesshomaru huffed indignantly. Solaris kept smiling. He knew Sesshomaru better than anyone else- and it only with Solaris that Sesshomaru would drop any and all pretence and guises.

"I could get anyone that I wanted, if I so pleased! Women practically _drool_ all over me." Sesshomaru said, frowning. "That's not the problem."

"I know that." Solaris replied easily, walking forward towards the sakura tree and catching a blossom from mid-air.

Sesshomaru glared at him for a moment, before he wiped all emotion from his face- as if bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

"Your problem is that you have no idea what to do around the other gender- nothing about how to properly woo them, nothing about how to pick someone suitable to produce an heir... I assume I don't need to give you a lecture on mating rituals, right?"

Sesshomaru growled low, turning his head away in what seemed like embarrassment. "Of course not!" he said.

"I know what everyone says I need... but I don't want it- or need it! I just don't know... how?" he finished pathetically- looking more like the young pup that followed Solaris around centuries ago, and not the supposed full grown taiyoukai that stood before him moments ago.

"To get what I want- need? Damn it all!" Sesshomaru cursed, letting out a string of expletives that would make InuYasha double-step. "This is so frustrating!"

"You are still a child…" the bird chuckled, stretching his wings and preparing to fly. "Might I give a few words of advice?"

"What?" Sesshomaru sighed in defeat.

"I think, young lord, that you need to learn to love." He chuckled, before taking a mighty leap into the air, and soaring on unseen currents that floated through the trees, and Sesshomaru's long silver hair.

"Learn... to love? What a preposterous notion." Sesshomaru scoffed, and turned abruptly on his heel to head back inside. However, he just couldn't ease the tiniest of nagging feelings that remained in the back of his head...

He was already losing time.

**tbc.**

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**********EDITED: 05/16/11**  



	2. Chapter 2: Fading Away

**A/N: **I'm sorry this took so long, really!! I had started the chapter, and then I lost acess to it... and I was waiting to see if I could get it back. I didn't, so I decided to go along, and rewrite it. Because of this, I'm not completely happy with this chapter. But, I suppose it'll have to do.

I'm interested to see how this will turn out, after being so long. Please enjoy the chapter!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything. Ohhh! Except for my OC. You'll meet her for the first time in this chapter.

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**Learning To Love**

**Chapter One: Fading Away**

**By ancient-relic**

Kagome watched as the clouds blew by, from her position in the tall grass. Wearing a goldenrod and green kimono, she was pretty much hidden from the world.

And besides… the grass was tall enough around her so that no one else could see her, unless they came close enough to step on her.

Distantly on the wind that met her in the clearing, she could hear that the festivities were still going on. The sun was setting, giving the clouds some gorgeous colours to look at.

Kagome smiled to herself. It was quite here… it was peaceful here. It was easy to believe that nothing could touch her… that it was just a special place where she could look and hear and breathe… and do nothing more.

For those special occasions such as these, she carried a camera, so that she could take whatever picture of whatever it was that she found so breath-taking. The other thing was her music.

Taking in her surrounding with a sharp inhale, Kagome had the overwhelming sense of tranquility, and quickly flipped through all of her music on her iPod, until she found the perfect song to match her mood… to match the air.

It just so happened that it was a song from one of her favourite anime's… a sci-fi adventure called 'Gundam Seed'. The song was her favourite ending theme, called _Find the Way_, by Mika Nakashima.

Listening to the peaceful music as she slipped the headphones into her ears, Kagome completely lost all sense of time. All that lingered around her was the beautiful picture of the setting sun, the way that the wind teased the ever colour-changing leaves, and the music.

The three were a deadly combination, and Kagome found herself drifting away… falling asleep… being swept away with the wind, and the fading fall.

_Learning to Love _

Sesshomaru scoffed silently, watching as Rin pranced in the leaves. Jaken was doing a horrible job of watching the young girl as she danced about with her wide grin, and he was forever getting lost under piles of leaves (courtesy of Rin).

The thought of a human being craftier than his 'faithful retainer' was something that did threaten to bring a smile to his face, though… and though Rin was still but a human child, she was very perceptive for her age. Almost more so than Jaken… though the only thing that he had going for him was age. With age, came wisdom.

Or so he had previously thought.

Solaris' last words still echoed emptily through his head, making him want to kill something in frustration. How did one go about 'learning to love'?

Certainly 'love' was not something that could be taught by a school master, and it was certainly not written down anywhere. With the old birds' words, questions whirled about in a tumult about his head. He would not lower himself to ask anyone any of them, however.

There had to be an easier way to go about this… well, this 'loving' business. His gaze was drawn to Rin, as she dances and sang merrily through the leaves. What the reason that he allowed her to follow him love? Or was it duty?

A crisp breeze blew through the clearing, sending leaves into great eddies as they danced along with Rin. Her shrieks of delight made him want to grin, but he resisted the urge, and turned away, looking to the north east, where the wind had come from.

It was then that he sensed it… the faint waft of power coming from somewhere down the way. Though he couldn't pin the scent as something he could name, it carried with it the unyielding tang of power. It made the insides of his nose burn, and it tickled his youki…

He was about to turn away from it, when it suddenly spiked, before settling. It was a live power… not some object demanding to be claimed. Sesshomaru's mind settled on the strange jewel that both Naraku and his younger brother fought over.

He had seen shards of that troublesome jewel tinted, and pure. ­_However, _he thought detachedly,_ none compare to the strange purity of that power…_

Turning his head back to the north east, he stared through the bright colours of fall, and wondered what the strange power was coming from.

_Learning to Love _

Kagome sat straight up when she sensed the demonic presence. It was different from all those that she had felt before, yet it was undeniably something that she couldn't ignore.

It was frigid, like cool air against her skin. It wrapped her almost painfully, but at the same time, it was desperate. Kagome sensed the cry for help.

Rising from the ground, Kagome left her little nest, and looked for the source through the tall grass. She waded through the tall stalks until she came to a break in the tall grass. A young demoness lay on the ground, covered in a flimsy looking yukata.

She had long deep silvery, almost black hair, though it shimmered in the sun with a blue sheen. Curved blue markings covered her arms and wrist down to hands, which tapered into neat claws. From what Kagome could see of the demoness' pale skin, the markings crisscrossed all over her body, ending on her left leg, right above her knee.

Kagome could not see any outwardly injuries, nor could she see or smell any blood of any kind. Whatever it was that had injured the poor demoness, it wasn't something that Kagome could heal. Looking over the tall grass, Kagome looked for the sight of anyone she knew. There was no one in sight, as to be expected. Moving to the still woman, Kagome knelt before her.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her voice belying her calm stature. The woman did not reply, but rolled over, and affixed Kagome with the strongest, most pure stare she had ever come across. Her eyes were a purer blue than anything she could think of, and were ringed in a grey, bordering on silver.

Her eyes remained clear for a moment, before they darkened to a deep navy in pain. "Y-you," she whispered, her voice raspy.

Kagome's eyes widened. That would have been the most beautiful voice, she thought to herself, had it not been gasping for breath. "What can I-"

"You m-must stop…" she wheezed, and her eyes lightened, growing paler and paler. Kagome watched frantically, ignoring as the demoness' claws tightened around her wrists, leaving neat cuts from her claws. "S-stop the blackest man,"

She slumped against Kagome, her grip growing slack. Her eyes were silver. Kagome felt the coldness rising around her, and it moved against the demoness in her arms comfortingly, before it rushed at her, disappearing as it hit her. Kagome looked down at the demoness, feeling the chill seep into her bones. The body in her arms was growing warmer. Her eyes were shut now, but a light shone from behind her bangs. Lifting them up with a shaky hand, Kagome saw the silver crescent moon on her brow pulsing, rather feebly, before it faded.

"Se…sho…" Her whispered word didn't meet Kagome's ear as the last breath ran from the demon's pale lips, and the body grew stiff. _Sesshomaru… _A single tear leaked from the corner of a shut eye, before it crystallized, and fell to the ground.

"No- NO!" Kagome cried, looking down at the limp body in her hands. However, she didn't have long to mourn the innocent demon before the body started melting. Confused and disgusted, Kagome watched as it turned to water in her hands, before falling and absorbing into the ground around her.

Before Kagome could move, the cold feeling washed over her again, and she felt a rush of something move through her body, from the ground. As it reached her head, she felt a fierce throbbing behind her eyes, and she shut them, and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

_Learning to Love _

Sesshomaru stopped at Kagome's little bag, and narrowed his eyes. He _had_ felt a clan-call, or else he wouldn't have left Rin alone with Jaken. However, there was nothing here but the lingering scent of the human miko, who traveled with his brother.

Following the scent with rather creative thoughts to torture his brother with his human pet, he was more than surprised to find the human unconscious on the ground, with the lingering scent of a demon's power.

The cool metallic tang was familiar, but Sesshomaru couldn't place it. Staring down at the girl in disdain, he bent down closer, for closer inspection. There was no mistaking the inu-youkai power that was lingering about the miko-child, though Sesshomaru couldn't place it. He had been under the impression that there were no more of his clan in the area.

Glancing at the miko one last time, his eye caught sight of something tiny and shiny, almost obscured by his shadow. Picking it up deftly from the ground, he recognized it immediately. Aare, his cousin from the north! He held her frozen tear gently.

Looking to Kagome with an angry stare, he was quickly surprised. Shadowing her body was that of Aare, and immediately, Sesshomaru realized what had happened. She had given the human her power. Sesshomaru frowned down at the girl, but was more than surprised when he saw Aare's body slowly eclipsing Kagome's.

Aare's features were absorbed into Kagome's body, and Sesshomaru watched, amazed, as she transformed into a demon before his very eyes. Her hair lightened into a deep silvery-blue, and faint lines marked themselves across her skin, trailing in the curling way that belonged to the clan of the north. Her jaw shifted, though her mouth was closed, and Sesshomaru knew that it was shifting to accommodate her new teeth. The cold minty scent that belonged to his cousin intermingled with Kagome's soft human one, and the change was almost complete.

However, it was stopped by a wave of power that washed out of Kagome's body. A fierce pink energy crackled, pushing against his demonic aura, and Aare's lingering one as well. Blue and pink fought fiercely, and Sesshomaru had to hide his eyes from the glare.

Finally, it subsided, and Sesshomaru looked at Kagome's still form. The coloured hair had receded, and only her bangs remained coloured. There were still faint claws, more of neatly tended nails than anything. The blue marks were still there, but they had receded, starting at her shoulder, and trailing down to her legs. Her teeth had reverted to that of a human's.

Kagome shifted then, groaning. Sesshomaru stood there, watching. As she opened her eyes, he noted that one was blue, and one was silver. He gave the slightest grin. The girl's miko powers had only blocked the youkai powers from surfacing- she still had them.

A miko with the powers of a demon... And yet, she remains a human… Sesshomaru mused. Kagome was still very groggy, and had rested her head down again. Letting his own youki flare, he felt his brother's move in response. With InuYasha on the way, he turned abruptly, leaving the girl to rise herself.

As he disappeared into the trees, he decided that he would monitor the young miko for a while longer, in order to insure that Aare's power didn't grow out of control. If worst came to worst, he would have to teach the girl to control it himself.

**To Be Continued…**

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A/N:** Well, that's that. I'd love to hear what you all thought of this chapter, so please, send me a review! I wonder how this story will do, after being left alone so long. I can only hope that the next chapter won't quite take so long!

The next chapter will be Kagome finding out what has happened to her... but who will break the news? Myoga? InuYasha? _Sesshomaru_ You'll have to wait and see, because I haven't decided yet, either!! XD

Please review!!

**ancient-relic**


	3. Chapter 3: The Last of her Kind

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long... but I'm doing my best to fit in writing around summer school. Please bear with me!! The chapter is a little short, but I wanted to give you something... I hope you all like it.

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own InuYasha. But if I did, I'd have lots of fun torturing Sesshomaru... kukuku...

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**Learning to Love**

**Chapter Two: The Last of her Kind**

**By ancient-relic**

Kagome groaned, her throat raw. She was lying on the ground; her legs crossed over and splayed out. Her head was pillowed gently on her arm, but her neck protested painfully when she tried to move from her place on the ground.

She sat, looking around, and wondered where she was. Her vision kept fading in and out, trying to refocus itself. When it finally stopped, Kagome found that she was looking at things more clearly than she seemed to remember seeing them. The lines of the tall grass were crisp and clear as they moved in a gentle wind. Their golden hue shone brightly in the sun, though the seemed to be radiating with a light of their own.

"Kagome!" a voice called, causing Kagome to turn her head. "Where are you?"

Kagome strained to hear the voice, as it was faint. It eerily echoed in her ears, and the more she strained to hear it, the more it seemed like she was remembering the voice from a long time ago. She would have banished the voice to her dreams- except that she heard it again.

"Kagome? Where are youuu?"

Kagome struggled to her feet, and fought a wave of nausea at the change in altitude. "What-"

"KAGOME!" The voice was getting closer. And more annoying.

"What?" She replied, her voice rasping. "Why are you calling my name?"

A man in a red outfit with long white hair skidded to a stop in front of her. Kagome's body reacted without her even having to think- she flipped away as he reached out to grab her, and once she was safely away, she slid into a tense position, from which she could bolt easily. However, the kimono she was wearing was stopping her leg from moving backwards, so she cracked her wrist, and ripped it up to her thigh.

"Kagome?" the man asked, taking a hesitant step forward. "Kagome, what's the matter? When did you learn..." his voice trailed off.

Kagome stared up at him with icy eyes. Her hair was a faint blue around her face, and the long leg that was sticking out from her now ruined kimono had a strange blue pattern that swirled across it.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" she demanded, her posture relaxing. Standing up, InuYasha noticed that she seemed taller. She held herself with a regal air, and her chin and neck seemed a little finer, more defined.

"Kagome, it's me." He said, his stomach flopping uncomfortably.

"Do not make me repeat myself," she said. InuYasha waited for the slur, but none came. Instead, she stared him down with eyes so cold he felt the hairs on his arm standing up.

"It's me, InuYasha." He said, reaching his hand out slowly. Inching his way towards her, he did his best not to break eye-contact. Kagome's bright blue eyes suddenly began to dim, and though he was alarmed, he dared not make a sudden movement.

"Inu...Yasha..." her voice said the name brokenly. Suddenly, her right eye glowed silver, and her legs collapsed from underneath her. InuYasha lunged forward and caught her before she hit the ground.

The first thing he noticed once Kagome was safely in his arms was that she was heavier. Not overly so- but it seemed like she had put on some kind of mass, and it wasn't girth. The second thing he noticed was that while her body was warm, the air around her was not. He was getting goose-bumps just holding her, and the hair on his arms was on end. The third thing that he noticed was her scent- and he had to inhale deeply just to be sure he had smelt Kagome. A cold, minty scent intermingled with the scent of her humanity, her miko powers, and her strange soaps. It hung thickest about her head, and hair, which it seemed to cling to like an aura.

Shuffling through the grass, he picked up her bag, and dashed off to find Kaede. Something was wrong with Kagome... he just wasn't sure whether or not it was a good thing.

_Learning to Love _

Sesshomaru scented the air again. Sure enough, the faint scent of mint made it to his nose. He had been sticking just outside of sensing distance of the old priestess, as she was the one with the best range. The other miko, _Kagome_, was convienently out. However, she was also the source of the mint, and the reason he'd stayed in the vicinity.

He wanted to be close for when she woke up, as he was unsure of what would actually happen. Aare's presence was inside her body, but he was unsure of how much, exactly. He knew her powers were currently dormant- but how long would they stay so once she was awake? As Sesshomaru pondered his insane cousin's decision to bequeath her power to a human priestess, he was greeted only by the ruffling of Solaris' wings.

"Greetings, milord." The wizened youkai bowed.

"Solaris," Sesshomaru nodded from his spot in the shade.

"Might I inquire as to how you're spending your days?" the elder asked, ancient bones creaking as he perched upon a low-resting branch.

Sesshomaru looked at him sharply. The old eagle smirked in response. _Nosey old bat, _he thought.

"That I am," he chuckled in reply. "But more important than my first question, why does that human girl hold you here?"

Sesshomaru feigned confusion.

"The human girl who travels with your brother. Your senses are attuned on her." He observed. Sesshomaru stiffened.

"Aare was south," he said, after a moment of pregnant silence. "I came in response to a clan-call."

Sesshomaru's answer seemed to keep the old bird silent for a long time, and Sesshomaru had just turned his attentions back to his brother's group when Solaris replied.

"They are dead," Solaris said succinctly. There was a battle in the North that completely wiped out the last remaining ice-inu. You are the last member of the silver inu-youkai."

For the first time in a while, Sesshomaru felt the brief pang of sorrow. _Dead?_ _By whom?_ "Who else is left, Solaris?"

"Well..." the old bird pondered this question for a while. "One might suppose that there are still some wind-inu milling around, but awful hard to come by. The snow-inu have been dead a long time now, but they are descendants of the ice-inu. If what you say is true, and there's still an ice-inu walking on this plane, then you should do your best to copulate with her. Between the two of you, you're the only remaining youkai alive of the four clans."

Sesshomaru considered these words seriously. "And what of other... _half-breeds_," he spat the word, "like my brother?"

"They are not fit to carry on the lineage." Solaris replied. "Not because they are unworthy, but because the power and DNA becomes irreversibly diluted."

Sesshomaru snorted at the last comment. His mind again turned to the threat at hand... the situation seemed to be getting worse and worse the more time passed. First he learned that he was the Lord of the West in everything but title. Despite it being a little-known fact, if that information got into the wrong hands, there would likely be a war. Then he learned that he would need a mate and a sire to continue (or begin, as the case was,) to rule. To top it off, his breed, the majestic silver-inu, were dying out. Apparently, the last known alive had just died and surrendered her powers to a human wench.

Rising suddenly, Sesshomaru cursed loudly in every language that he knew. Solaris, so startled by the young lord's outburst, lost his footing in the tree, and had to retreat to the ground. However, he couldn't help but chuckle at some of Sesshomaru's choice curses.

"What ails you? I knew not your mouth was fouler than your brother's, Sesshomaru."

Turning to him, Sesshomaru's anger was pushed aside by the inkling of dread that was welling up within him. "Aare died today," he said. The smile slid off Solaris' face like water. "She gifted all her powers to a human, who now carries the aura and power inside her."

"You don't say," Solaris said sombrely, but again, his hand was raised to his face in contemplation. "Well isn't that interesting. I'll see what I can learn about that particular ability of the ice-inu."

He fluttered his wings, and hopped back into the trees, preparing to clear the tree level and take off. "I will be back with news as soon as I can, milord."

Sesshomaru nodded, and started back towards where he had left Jaken and Rin.

"Remember, milord," Solaris said suddenly, "Until the spring comes again." Sesshomaru inclined his head, watching the eagle take off and disappear into the clouds. There was a warning in Solaris' voice that he didn't like.

It was like they thought he couldn't get a girl.

_Hn. We'll see about that._ He snorted, continuing at a slower gait than usual. The dread he had felt earlier was creeping back.

**To Be Continued...**

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**A/N: **I would like to remind you that this story is supposed to be mostly Sesshomaru's point of view... because I think it's a refreshing change. That being said, it still needs a little Kagome. So it'll be switching back and forth quite a bit. Just some forewarning. XD

So, another chapter down... please tell me what you think!! And of course... how much you hate me for never updating... (because I deserve it... T-T)

**ancient-relic**


	4. Chapter 4: Getting the Girl?

**A/N: **Whoo! School's due to start again. I gotta crank out some shiznit!! So, here it comes... BETTER GET READY!

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha. If I did, I wouldn't be writing these fanfics.

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**Learning to Love**

**Chapter Three: Getting the Girl…?**

**By ancient-relic**

Sesshomaru frowned.

This was completely degrading. He was sitting in the trees, concealed so completely that he wouldn't be able to sense himself if he had been standing right beside himself, and was scrutinising the building in front of him in which the power of the last remaining silver inu-youkai remained in the form of a human.

To put it succinctly, he was spying on his brother and his pack of humans.

Anger rippled through him, but he quelled it with a self-reminder of his purpose. He needed to remain hidden long enough to discover whether or not Aare was dominant in Kagome, and whether or not she'd be of any use to him in his quest to… he shuddered… r_eproduce_.

His mind was drawn out of its angry circles when he heard a stirring, and sensed the slowest heart beat speed up to slightly slower than that of the kit's. Demons were not built the same as humans. They were faster, stronger, and more efficient in anything that they did. They were better in almost every way, yet the internal differences were immense in comparison.

Demons were different depending on the animal that they shared a likeness with, and depending on the demon, they could be more similar with an animal than with a human. However, generally, their heart pumped slower, and their natural body temperatures did not run as high. Their blood flowed slower, because demons were more efficient than humans, with little to none of their motions wasted. That was the basis of Sesshomaru's theory, anyways. Their bodies, combined with that of animals for centuries, also gifted with unique talents from the Gods, were designed so that little to nothing was wasted in motion, mentally or internally.

And because this could be seen in various observations on Sesshomaru's part, he was certain he was correct. Shippo was a fox demon, and foxes were known predators and tricksters. His heart pumped slowly and steadily, providing young Shippo with nothing but the stability that he needed. Comparing the humans to Shippo, their heart rates were noticeably faster. InuYasha's lingered somewhere in between, though it was subject to his emotions, like humans. However, Kagome's heart was slower than Shippo's, despite waking up.

Sesshomaru immediately assumed that the fits of unconsciousness had been her inner system shifting to that of a demon, slowing down and beginning the change, due to the dormant power. He was unsure of how many characteristics would physically manifest, and so he continued to watch and scrutinize.

It was strange, because despite the demonic changes occurring in her body, she remained human. Her human organs were changing and adapting to function as demonic ones, but the humanity remained.

"Kagome…!" voices reached his ears. "You're awake! Thank goodness!"

He listened, his irritation building, as the voices melded into a dull roar. Oh, how he wished they would just-

"Shut up!!" Kagome's tinkling voice reached his ears, sharp, yet delicate. "Eh, sorry," she apologised. "You were just so loud…"

"It's all right, Kagome." Came the voice of the monk. "It's understandable."

"What happened, Kagome?" the demon slayer asked. Sesshomaru noted that his brother remained silent.

"Well, there was this demoness, and she looked like she was in trouble, so I went to see what was going on," Kagome said. Sesshomaru heard her rise from the pallet where she lay. "And so I went over to her, but she was already so cold… I couldn't understand what she wanted, but I just knew she was dying. I wanted to stay with her, to comfort her, I guess. She was trying to call out to someone, but… I don't know who it was. And then, she died, I guess. She just kinda vanished."

Kagome fell silent. Sesshomaru stiffened as she walked outside. She was taller now, almost as tall as InuYasha. She looked longer, and much more slender. Her movements were light and graceful, almost like she was hesitant to put too much weight down. But he recognized this as an ice-inu trait; they had to move lightly over the large glaciers in the far north.

"Something strange happened to me then- I felt this coldness washing over me, and I couldn't move. And then I was unconscious. When InuYasha found me, my senses were so sharp- I could see everything, hear everything… everything seemed so… acute. But for a moment, I didn't recognize InuYasha. Like, I didn't remember him- though I remembered everything else. And I fainted again."

Kagome suddenly tensed, and looked him dead in the eyes. His own eyes widened in response. Their eyes seemed locked, and neither of them could look away. Kagome broke it first.

"Are you hurting, Kagome?" a voice came from lower. She looked down at the little fox at her feet, and lifted him up into her arms.

"No, it's okay." She looked at him again, this time, curiously. "I just thought I saw something, is all."

InuYasha looked now, curious. Sesshomaru watched as his eyes passed over him. So his half-witted brother couldn't see him… but she could? He was confused. Even more so by the fact that she didn't give him away.

"You know," the monk stole her attention again. "I think the demoness did something to you, Kagome."

"Oh?" her attention was stolen again.

"You've physically changed." He continued, musing aloud.

"It's true," Sango piped up. "You've got blue in your hair, and your right eye is lighter than your other one. And you've got markings all twisted around you… they remind me of Sesshomaru's, but yours are almost curved into circles."

"Oh?" Kagome held the fox in one hand, like she was holding chopsticks, and used the other to look at herself.

"And you seem unusually strong," Miroku added, looking at Shippo, who was amazed at Kagome holding him, balanced in her hand. "You're taller, and you've thinned out…"

"Pervert!" Sango slapped him. "But he's right. I can see the new muscles when I watch you move."

"Your smell has changed." InuYasha finally spoke up. Kagome looked to him, her eyes softening with something Sesshomaru could not name. It sent a stab through him… that soft look directed at his brother and not him. Yet it was a parting thought, as all his attention was focused on the girl.

"Has it?" she stepped closer to InuYasha.

"Yeah," he said gruffly. "You smell… minty." He looked away, and the moment was broken. Kagome turned away with a chuckle.

"I see. Well, whatever happened can't be bad, because I've never felt better!" she smiled, her teeth flashing brightly. Sesshomaru noted the small, human sized canines. They were certainly similar to his, yet they were the size of a human's.

Strange…

"You should be careful, nonetheless." The monk said, turning to go inside. "You never know, Kagome."

"I know!" she said cheerfully, spinning lightly with Shippo.

"Uh, Kagome!" he said, squirming out of her hold. "Are you cold?" he asked suddenly, looking at her strangely.

"No," she said, deflating slightly. "Why?"

"Never mind." He mumbled. "Uh, do you have any more pocky?" he not-so-subtly changed the topic.

"Check by bag," Kagome said, smiling. InuYasha looked at her with a scrutinizing look, partially curious, partially concerned.

"Don't worry…" she said, turning around. "I'm just going for a walk. I'll be back."

Sesshomaru watched as she walked away, and cursed when he realized she was heading straight towards Jaken and Rin. As she hit the trees, she broke out into a sprint, and her speed surprised him enough that he had lost sight of her before he started moving again. She was moving as fast as he could!

"Ah!" he heard her voice cry out.

Stopping, he watched her tumble through the air, and land on her feet. Having just dropped more than 20 feet, a normal human should be bleeding from somewhere. Yet she was not.

"Ow, ow, owwww!" she said, hopping from one foot to another. Looking up, she saw him standing there.

"Sessh-"

A moment later, he was standing in front of her. Reaching out for her, he caught her by surprise again, as she flipped over him. How she got behind him he didn't know, but he spun again, to see her crouched, lip up in a snarl.

She seemed to realize this, and blinked, before standing up, and looking at her hands and nails. "What's wrong with me?" she whimpered, falling to her knees.

Walking over to her at a sedate pace, Sesshomaru stopped right above her. "You have been gifted with demonic abilities." He said stiffly, watching as her right eye seemed to glow silver in the light. "The abilities of an ice-inu princess named Aare."

Kagome's mouth opened in an o. "But… I'm a priestess…?" it was more of a question than a statement.

Sesshomaru merely raised an eyebrow in response.

Looking back at her hand again, Kagome frowned, and stared intently into her palm. A moment later, a bright pink light seemed to glow from the center of her hand. Shocked, her concentration faltered, as did the light. Looking back up at Sesshomaru, she frowned.

"How can I do this?" she asked. "I've never been able to do it before." Showing him her other hand, he watched, amazed, as water seemed to condense and freeze around her skin.

"I am warm, but the air around me isn't. I'm faster, taller… stronger?" she picked up a rock and ground it to dust in her hand. "But I can control my priestess powers better than ever."

Sesshomaru was distracted as her scent washed over him- the mint no longer being associated with Aare, but with Kagome. It sent tingles running down his throat. It was so… alluring.

Realizing that she had stopped talking, he looked at her. "You are a demon… made of human." He surmised.

She blinked, and the manifesting powers disappeared.

"With it comes great power and control. Not to mention the power you already possessed…" he said, turning away. "You must learn to control it, or it may destroy you. The conflicting abilities."

"But I…" her voice cracked. "How?"

The wheels in his mind turning furiously, Sesshomaru faced her again with a smirk. He had the perfect plan to keep her close, to get to the bottom of the problem. It was fool-proof. While Solaris was keeping an eye out for his… bigger issue, he could see if he'd be able to get something out of this girl that could help him as well.

"As the last silver full inu-youkai in Japan, it is my duty to help you."

**To Be Continued…**

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**A/N:** WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Cliffie for you. Hope you liekkkk it!! BWAHAHAHAHA! Now, a snack break before I get back to work again. Please review!

**ancient-relic**


	5. Chapter 5: Rendezvous

**A/N: **So I was re-reading the last chapter, and in my author's note I totally said I was going to do a lot of publishing before school started again. The two things that totally shocked me: 1, i said school was going to be soon- gosh, it's been MONTHS since I've last updated!! I'M SO SORRY! 2, I said shiznit. I don't even think I posted anything else during that time...

All of you faithful readers and reviewers, feel free to throw things at me. I'm a horrible person.

And so, I will continue being horrible, and post another horrible chapter. Please enjoy... horribly.

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**Disclaimer: **Dooooo noooottttt owwwwnnnn.

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**Learning to Love**

**Chapter Four: Rendezvous**

**By ancient-relic**

Sesshomaru watched Kagome carefully. She had returned to her friends peacefully, and she had yet to tell them of the agreement that he had proposed earlier. Kagome actually was remaining quite silent, which was strange- from what he had deduced, she was very talkative.

"Can you please be a little quieter?" she spoke for the first time in several minutes. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"On what, Kagome-sama?" Miroku questioned, a large bump decorating his forehead above his eye. Sango had whacked him with her boomerang. Again.

"I'm searching for the core of this power I've gained," she explained. "I can feel it inside of me- but I can't seem to actually _find_ it."

Miroku gave her a funny look. "Have you been studying meditation, Kagome-sama?"

"No, why?" she asked, eyebrows wrinkling. Her eyes were closed tightly in concentration.

"Just wondering..." he mused aloud. Kagome wrinkled her nose in his general direction, her ears informing her of his location.

As Kagome shifted back into her meditative state, Sesshomaru decided that now would be a good time to check on Rin and Jaken- she was doing fine by herself at the moment, and had already deciphered how to get to the bottom of her strange powers. Not that she'd be able to understand it… he snorted.

"Milord!" a voice chirped, as he stepped through the foliage.

"Rin," he greeted, nodding at where she was curled against AhUn's side, creating wreaths and wreaths of flowers. Jaken was sitting a little ways off, grumbling, scribbling in the dirt with his wooden staff. As soon as he approached, the little toad was up and praising.

"Sesshomaru-sama! How grateful I am that you have decided to return to us so quickly! I have taken care of everything in your absence-"

"What happened?" Sesshomaru questioned, cutting off the toad's tirade. Wide bulbous eyes peered up at him nervously.

"A council member, milord, checking up on you," he started, his gaze downcast. However, he brought his head up, and his voice became adamant. "He was being meddlesome, and I sent him away! It is not his business what you are up to, and I told him such; that you were busy with important matters."

"Unfortunately, Jaken," Sesshomaru drawled coldly, staring down his nose at his long-time companion, "It is their business. Who was it that came seeking me?"

"Ritsenenji," Jaken croaked. Sesshomaru stiffened in anger. That conniving, wretched-

"Sesshomaru," a voice cut off his tirade. Sesshomaru turned to see Solaris touch down a little ways off.

"Solaris!" Rin laughed in delight, running to the eagle's side. Solaris chuckled, swinging her around when she leapt at his chest.

"Good to see you too, Rin-chan."

"Can we go flying soon?" she asked, her eyes shining in delight.

"Perhaps. First, Sesshomaru and I have some business to discuss. Stay here with Jaken and AhUn, all right?"

"Un!" Rin nodded vigorously, clambering down and skipping back to her spot. Solaris winked at Jaken, who spluttered, and then turned to Sesshomaru.

"Walk with me," he gestured back to where Sesshomaru had come before.

Sesshomaru followed, and soon they were back under the cover of the forest. Solaris led them back to where he had been sitting, observing Kagome.

"I have flown to meet an old friend from the North," Solaris began, peeking around the foliage at Kagome, who was now sitting, alone, meditating.

"Oh?" Sesshomaru wasn't telepathic; he knew what the old bird was going to say next.

"The Ice have been practicing the technique of power-gifting for centuries…" He said grimly, watching the girl for a moment longer, before turning to stare gravely at Sesshomaru. "They began shortly after their clan began declining, several centuries ago, so that power could be both given, and developed. They would have been a very powerful clan, had they not mysteriously began to dwindle in numbers. That being said… this girl is the last alive with blood of the Northern Inu."

"What of the Snow?" Sesshomaru questioned, listening closely. His displeasure was only evident in his voice.

"They're really just a combination of Ice and Wind anyhow." Solaris clicked his tongue. "They essentially were a part of the Ice, regardless of what they called themselves. There is no whisper of them."

"Where does that put me?" Sesshomaru growled, gripping and cracking a nearby branch in half. Kagome stirred, but didn't open her eyes. However, Sesshomaru and Solaris were no longer paying her any attention.

"Well, though the fortress was abandoned and most were slaughtered, there is the possibility that the Wind are still around, in single numbers." Solaris sighed. "Though there weren't many of them to begin with."

"I will journey into the Central Lands to find them, if I must," Sesshomaru quipped, flicking a splinter out of his finger deftly.

"That will take time you do not have," Solaris replied. His gaze shifted back to Kagome, who was stretching now, apparently finished with her meditation. "Perhaps what you need is right in front of you?"

"She is still human, no matter her powers," Sesshomaru allowed himself to take in (again) her changed form.

"But it must count for something, Sesshomaru." Solaris countered, fluttering up to the treetops. "Think about it."

"Hn," Sesshomaru dismissed Solaris with a snort, turning back to his companions, leaving thoughts of Kagome behind. The looming facts, however, were hard to escape- how was he supposed to produce an heir with no one to… _assist?_

_Or perhaps,_ he mused, _that is the plan. That I cannot complete this task, and my title and lands will be stripped from me._

* * *

Kagome sighed. This meditation was getting her nowhere. She could feel it inside of her- a cool, calm feeling that made her heavy in drowsiness and comfort. It was frightening, how familiar this strange sensation was, and she could not help but fear what would happen if it ever took over her.

"Kagome?" a little voice drew her attention downwards, and Kagome finally moved from her seated position, to tilt her head downwards. Little paws placed hesitantly on her knees, Shippo stared up at her rather imploringly with wide green eyes.

"Yes?" she smiled, scooping up the little kit and pulling him close. She ran a hand through his orange hair and scratched his head.

"Are you still busy?" he asked, enjoying her ministrations. The coolness that surrounded her form was comforting, and he felt rather secure in her arms. "Everyone else is doing something else, and Kirara and I have no one to play with."

"Well," Kagome said, standing and rather methodically cracking her ankles, legs, back, shoulders and neck, "I think I have an idea…"

* * *

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to grumble. Jaken, though loyal to the very end, had managed to botch up a simple task again. He had little doubt that Rin had aided in the downfall of their simple dinner plan, and he was left to wonder just why he was still putting up with it.

Having sent the two of them to a small river looking for some dinner for Rin, he had quickly been accosted by Jaken, who was shouting about Rin drowning. Upon returning to the riverside with Jaken, Sesshomaru found that Rin had indeed fallen into the river, and was gaily laughing downstream with several otters, who were playing with her as she floated along the speedy current, one of them holding her afloat.

At his approach, however, they disappeared in fright, leaving Rin to sink beneath the surface several times. Sighing, he had realized with some minor sense of morbidity that he was going to have to get wet.

He _hated_ getting wet.

Dragging Rin out of the river was simple- detaching her from his haori was much harder. She had clung to him, coughing out water for the better part of ten minutes, and had thoroughly soaked his tail, his haori, and managed to soak his armour as well.

It had to be taken off; it needed to be properly dried and re-polished, lest it rust, and even Jaken wouldn't screw it up, so he had left the clearing, wet and irritated, armour in Jaken's capable hands.

Upon returning to his watch-spot, he had discovered that Kagome had disappeared as well. So, inhaling deeply to find the scent of mint among the grass and dirt, he was off in track of Kagome- he had nothing better to do.

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Kagome tossed Shippo into the air, and caught him, giggling. "My mom used to do this to me when I was a baby. Apparently, I loved it!" she smiled. Kirara was perched on her shoulder, meowing in laughter.

"Kagome, Kagome!!" Shippo's face was flushed in delight. "What's your cool idea, huh?" he asked, scrambling across her shoulder, to sit on the opposite shoulder from Kirara.

"Well," she said, pointing. "See the river? I've figured out that my power revolves around temperature. I want to test a couple of theories."

"Theories?" Shippo asked. "Like what?"

"You'll see," Kagome smiled, giving him a wink.

Approaching the river, Kirara and Shippo scrambled down and raced her to the river, and stood there waiting rather expectantly. Kagome flopped to the ground, crossing her legs, and staring at the two with a dramatic expression.

"Ready?"

"Yes!!" Shippo crowed for the two of them.

"But you have to be quiet, because I have to concentrate. Okay?"

"Roger!" Kirara also mewed her affirmation.

"Okay… here we go."

Kagome closed her eyes, and fisted her hands on her knees. Reaching out to the cool power that curled up low in her belly, she pulled it through her fingers, and felt it wrap around her fingers and arms like water. Reaching out her hand, eyes still closed, she curled the power in her hands like a ball, as if she was rolling a snowball.

Finally, satisfied with her visualization, she opened her eyes. She could see it, shimmering in the space between her cupped hands, like hot air rising off the pavement on a sunny day. Looking at Shippo and Kirara, she found them entranced, staring closely at her hands.

"Okay, watch." She said, and flattened her palms together so that the power manifested over her hands like gloves. Reaching her hands out to the water, she rose her hand, watching as the water rose with her, stretching from the river surface to the palm of her hand like a tower.

"Wow!!" Shippo giggled.

Kagome continued, separating the small section of water from the river, and curling it into a ball, similar to how she had drawn on her powers. The water complied, forming a circular orb of whirling water in her hand.

Shippo cheered and applauded.

Focusing further, Kagome stretched the water into a long, coiling shape, with a small head at one end- "A dragon!" Shippo realized. Then, Kagome called on the cold, hardness of her powers, watching with just as much amazement as Shippo as the water froze in its coil, the dragon's mouth open in a wide, ferocious howl.

"For you," she pronounced, handing Shippo the ice-dragon. Shippo crowed, holding the little sculpture gently, racing off to show everyone what Kagome had made for him.

Rising, Kagome popped her shoulders again. It wasn't uncomfortable to sit still, but she felt much better when she was loose and in motion. Turning her head slightly to the side, she tensed. A familiar aura brushed alongside hers, and she felt the water in the air begin to condense around her skin with a tingling cool.

"Sesshomaru," she called, voice quiet- yet loud. "Can I help you?"

As Sesshomaru stepped out of the trees, Kagome couldn't help but notice that he was, well… damp. Squinting her eyes in concentration, she stretched out an arm, focusing the little power she had mastery of at his garb. She could feel the water, sense its existence separate from Sesshomaru's clothes. She called to it.

Slowly, she felt the water leave Sesshomaru, and they curled towards her, floating around her before settling in little ice droplets in her hair, making her hair shine like glitter. Sesshomaru watched, amazement plain, as Kagome dried him without touching him. _Now isn't that convienent._

Before she had a chance to say anything else, he spoke. "The first test will be on how your body has changed." Sesshomaru said. "There will be a series of physical tests; speed, agility, accuracy, technique."

"Uh, okay," Kagome said, deciding it would be easier to take it all in stride.

"First is speed."

"What am I supposed to do?" she questioned.

Sesshomaru focused his golden eyes on her icy ones, sharpening his stare before cracking his fingers and flexing his hands and claws.

"_Run_."

**To Be Continued…**

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**A/N: **Don't dogs like getting wet?

BWAHAHAHAHA. Another cliffie for youuuuu!

And so- adeiuuu-

And please read and revieeeewwww!

(I'm a poet and I don't even know it.)

Happy Holidays

**ancient-relic**


	6. Chapter 6: Fight or Flight or Fall

**A/N: **Gosh, this must be the fastest updating that I've ever done!! Well, not really, but...

Let me let you in on a little secret. I actually finished this chapter a couple of days after I posted the last one, but I didn't post it right away. Truth be told, I wanted an extra chapter as a fallback, so that I'd have something to update later. Now, even though it's not the later I had in mind, I'm posting it. It's a little rough, and Sesshomaru is rather uncharacteristically noisy, but that's because he's starting to let his guard down around Kagome. More on that later, though...

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!!

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha, or any of the only things inadvertantly mentioned in this story. Just Aare and Solaris, and a few choice other characters who were needed to feed the plot. Which is beginning to come along, I might add...

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**Learning to Love**

**Chapter Five: Fight or Flight… or Fall**

**By ancient-relic**

"What?"

"You heard me." Sesshomaru stared at her, perfectly serious. "I will not repeat myself."

"But-"

"Silence."

"You're so much faster than I am!" Kagome shrieked in distress. "How am I supposed to outrun _you?_"

"Who said anything about outrunning?" Sesshomaru queried, stepping forward. "Have you not heard the expression…" he paused to find the right human words. "Fight or flight?"

Kagome nodded rather vigorously, eyes trained on his hand. Sesshomaru might have been speaking to her mostly civilized-ly, but that didn't mean he wasn't able to gut her with the flick of a wrist.

"There are times that all warriors face in which a decision needs to be made. What sacrifices will be made if the battle continues? What will be saved if the battle does not happen?" Sesshomaru almost sounded like a philosopher.

"Are you trying to tell me to _run away from battle?_" Kagome was hard-pressed to keep the slightly hysterical edge from her voice.

"Something like that." Sesshomaru dismissed her comment. "All lesser warriors need to know when their opponent is stronger, and there is a battle that can be prevented."

Kagome crossed her arms. "Lesser… lesser than you, you mean." She didn't wait for Sesshomaru to dip his head in the affirmative. "I can believe what's coming out of your mouth!! I can't even believe we're having a conversation, let alone _this_ conversation. Every other time we've met, you've tried to kill me!!"

"Untrue," Sesshomaru pointed out. "I have come to your aide more than once."

"Like?" Kagome huffed, turning away. Unfortunately for her, several times when he had indeed not killed her floated to the forefront of her mind.

"Unimportant." Sesshomaru dismissed her again. "You are impugning on both my honour and yours with this attitude you have taken up, and though I would like very much to kill you, fate would have it that I cannot. So, you _will_ cooperate, because though I cannot kill you, I can still _maim_ you. Your new demonic abilities would certainly heal you, and in the case they did not," he stopped his tirade, and sent a pointed look at the heirloom at his waist.

"Oh my god," Kagome's breath left her like a sigh. Sesshomaru merely raised an eyebrow in response.

"That's the most I've ever heard you say at once! And you threatened to kill me- _again_!"

"You infuriating woman-" Sesshomaru growled, glaring at the human-part-demon-woman-miko.

"Okay, okay," Kagome put her hands up sheepishly. "I'm running already!"

* * *

"Did you see that, monk?"

"Indeed." Miroku replied, voice speculative.

"Since when did Kagome-chan become so familiar with InuYasha's older brother?"

"I think perhaps, it has something to do with this strange new power Kagome has gained." Miroku replied, smiling at Sango. "I'm curious to see how this turns out!"

"Me too," Sango smiled in response, but it quickly melted off her face. "Pervert!"

Needless to say, Sango left the bushes without Miroku.

* * *

Kagome dashed as quickly as she could, scaling tree roots and rounding rocks. She was still only running as fast as a human, Sesshomaru noted. Speeding up, he moved beside her on a straightaway.

"You are not going nearly as fast as you were earlier today. Why?"

"You think I know?" Kagome was gasping to speak as she sprinted. Her face was pink. "I think I need to focus the power I was playing with earlier… but I don't know how."

"Try." Sesshomaru growled, before blinking out of sight.

Kagome considered stopping running, but before she could even slow down, Sesshomaru appeared again.

"And don't even think about stopping. I'm still watching."

As soon as he was gone, Kagome growled, spitting out a choice few curses in InuYasha's father's general direction. _Stupid, pompous, arrogant dogs._

Racing ahead, Sesshomaru found the little troupe of ogres he had sensed, who were planning the best way to attack the village for a bite to eat. Stopping with a sway of silver hair in the middle of the camp, he gave them a moment to comprehend what was happening.

"Lord Se-" one grunted, but it trailed off to a gurgle of blood.

Sesshomaru wanted to scoff. Dissipating his acid whip, he flickered out of the clearing, scenting the air only to find that Kagome had turned, and was heading east. _Stupid woman must have sensed the demons and unconsciously turned away._ He grumbled, before taking off after her. Suddenly, an errant thought occurred to him. Wasn't there a massive cliff to the east?

Pushing himself faster, he cursed his brother's wench for all he was worth. She seemed to have discovered her speed. Leaping through the trees, he watched as she went out into the air, torpedoing over the edge. She rolled in the air, and he followed her, tucking into himself so he was hurtling faster than she was.

"Sesssshoooomarruuuuu!" her voice was stolen by the hurtling winds. He was close enough to her that he could read the panic in her eyes, and he reached out to her hand, but suddenly, she pulled away. Her hair lightened, becoming a silvery-blue, and a swirling blue pattern curled up her arm.

He watched as she twisted in mid air, a graceful spin of her body, and suddenly, ice materialized beneath her feet. It appeared beneath her, and she slid, a small patch of ice slowing her descent and allowing her to spiral downwards. Before he had a chance to react, he smashed into the beginning of the patch of ice, which slashed at his face and neck, before he smashed into the ground- feet first.

Tensaiga's barrier stopped any bones from breaking, but the earth was not so lucky; a crater almost as deep as he was tall surrounded the small barrier around him. Jumping out, ready to kill that pesky human, he found himself slowing against his will. Kagome slid to the earth, the spiralling descent she had taken clear, from the icy path, and it melted the further away she got from the end.

She landed neatly on the ground, the ice dissolving behind her, before she turned to him sending him a very familiar cocky grin. The last time he had seen it was-

"Aare?"

"In the flesh, cuz." A lilting voice, too flowery to be Kagome's, flowed from her mouth.

"What-"

"My time is limited- so let me do the talking. I've stored a portion of my memories: specifically those about controlling my powers within Kagome. Strangely enough, some of my personality and consciousness carried over; I guess that's why I'm able to talk to you now. I used the last of my consciousness to tap into the power to stop her fall, and I've been able to use her body as a host. It's wearing off.

The power is slowly merging with her… soon she'll be able to tap into it like second nature. That's why she could do the manipulating thing earlier. Did you see the little dragon she made her kit? Oh- did you know that she took in a little fox? Isn't it dear? A human miko with a fox son.

Anyways, the more time progresses, the more the powers will merge. She's just gotta learn to separate her priestess abilities, or else they'll clash with my- soon to be hers- youki, and she'll kill herself. Gosh, she was really powerful already, lucky her powers have been mostly sealed, or else the merge wouldn't have worked. Just be careful, it's gonna get kinda painful from here on out."

"Aare," Sesshomaru growled. She was rambling.

"She'll go through some weird changes… she might even be privy to some of my memories." Aare- Kagome- smiled at him. "There's something I have to warn you about, too, cuz. The ice- we didn't die out, we were _killed_. Someone's out to kill off the inu, and you're topping the list."

"Who is it?"

"Dunno his name," she shrugged, and Sesshomaru watched her hair colour and her markings begin to receed. Aare's presence was leaving Kagome. "But he's got a pretty dark presence. And he's powerful. You should be wary- sounds like the a-typical evil bastard-type."

"Aare!" Sesshomaru reached out to ground her spirit in Kagome, but it was already gone. Kagome crumpled to the ground, but Sesshomaru let her fall, his hand still outstretched. His mind was whirling with everything that Aare had just told him. It must have been what she was trying to tell him before, when she had sent out a clan call on her deathbed… she must have been trying to give _him_ her powers.

"Owww," Kagome moaned, rising. Sesshomaru stared rather dispassionately at her, not bothering to help her up.

"Did I just fall off a cliff?" she asked, looking at the crater a little ways away. "Is that where I fell?"

"You _ran_ off a cliff." Sesshomaru replied. "And that's where _I_ landed."

"Wha-"

"Come. We've much to talk about."

* * *

"Sesshomaru, wait!!" Kagome called after his retreating form. He was upset about something; that was clear enough. He kept a quick pace, and even with her longer legs, she was hard-pressed to keep up.

"There is someone I need you to meet," he tossed over his shoulder. "And we need to find him immediately."

"And whom is finding whom?" a voice called from above. Looking up, Kagome crashed into Sesshomaru rather abruptly because he too had looked up, but he had stopped walking.

"Solaris." Sesshomaru said sharply. Solaris, sensing the tense mood Sesshomaru was in, landed abruptly.

"Greetings, milady Kagome," Solaris greeted, bowing at the waist with a sweep of his arm. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Uh, same?" Kagome was unsure how to respond. Taking in his robes, she noted that they looked like some kind of roman toga. "Are you from Rome, or something? Greece?"

Solaris looked surprised. "Your knowledge impresses me." He spoke in a kind of English- though Kagome picked out some latin, and Italian. "That you would know of a new, fledgling country across the oceans."

"Well, I'd like to think I'm well versed in history," Kagome giggled, also in English. If only he knew she was from the future.

Sesshomaru, watching them trade words in a language he couldn't understand, was surprising. Kagome spoke the same language? He had yet to find someone who spoke the same language as Solaris. Shifting rather agitatedly, Solaris turned back to him.

"What seems to be the problem, milord?" Solaris queried.

"There is a threat to the western lands. Someone has been killing off the ice inu… and it would seem the snow as well. It also appears that the same person- or people- were responsible for the raid on the wind castles. I need you to find out whatever you can on the battle. We will be heading into the Central Lands to find any of the other inu who will support the cause. It is likely that any survivors will have fled to the neutral lands."

"Wait, we?" Kagome spoke up, after having listened carefully to the train of the conversation. "What on earth are you planning?"

"Listen to me," he turned to her, golden eyes deadly serious. "I am going to the Central Lands. There is a threat against myself, my lands, my people, and my father's legacy. You are coming with me, and there will be not a complaint from you. Do you understand?"

Kagome gave him a confused look. No, she really didn't understand why it was necessary that she go with him. And she told him so.

"You now have ice inu in you. You have a duty to the clan of the white inu, no matter whether you are whole, or partially inu. Consider it an equal responsibility like that of your _quest._" Kagome could practically hear the italicization.

"Okay, I get it. But what are you going to do about InuYasha?" she asked, hands on her hips. "He's not just going to be okay with this."

"I would expect nothing less from InuYasha," Solaris chuckled. "He has been a quite the strong-willed character all his life. He very much takes after his father in that sense."

Kagome smiled at the mighty bird, before turning her glance to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, however, seemed to have already prepared an answer for this question, and gave her a devious look (or perhaps it was indigestion, Kagome mused,) of his own.

"He cannot possibly complain, because he is coming with us whether he is okay with it or not."

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**A/N: **Well, how's that for a twist? I've been re-reading, and I've noticed that I've kinda repeated myself, and over done some aspects. For that reason, I'll be going through and editing these chapters- though they're small altercations, and it won't take long at all. Regardless, I hope you're all enjoying this chapter- it might have to tide you over for a little longer than any of us would like, but hey. Let your imagination take you to all the places (that won't, no doubt, be the next chapter!) that this story might go!

Feel free to tell me about them in a review!

Happy New (January 1st) Year

**ancient-relic**


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